1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of archery targets, and in particular to free standing targets that include compressed strips or elements of penetrable material for arresting the flight of an arrow.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior art targets within the field of this invention include those disclosed in the following U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,244 to Batts disclosed a modular archery target body mounted between a pair of upright supports, suspended by a first rod and supported on a plurality of lower rods, which rods interconnect the upright supports. The target body was comprised of elongated modules of laminated, cellulosic, corrugated sheets. One end of each rod was fixed to one upright support, and the other end was adjustable for tightening and compressing the target body modules between the upright supports. In recognition of the fact that the modules located in a central portion of the target body receive the most arrow strikes and, consequently, the most wear, the target body could be disassembled for interchange of the peripherally disposed modules with the centrally-disposed modules of the target body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,684 to Bruno disclosed an archery target for arrows comprising a stack of laterally extending strips of cardboard or similar porous, fibrous material with the side edges thereof facing toward the archer, the strips being compressed together within telescoping upper and lower frame sections. A clamp bar, which extended across the top of the upper frame section, had apertures at the opposite ends thereof for receiving the threaded free end portions of adjustment rods connected to the lower frame section. A hand nut having a hand grasp extension was threaded on each adjustment rod in bearing engagement against the clamp bar, whereby rotation of the hand nuts permitted increase or decrease in the compression of the strips against each other, thereby increasing or decreasing the penetration of an arrow into and between the edges of the strips. The frame was pivotally mounted on a stand so that it could be rotated to alternately place either the front or the back of the target facing the archer. The stand was supported by wheels or rollers for rolling of the target from one place to another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,839 to Rodrigue disclosed an archery target comprising a base plate, a plurality of studs mounted on the base plate parallel to each other, a plurality of parallel rods embedded in a resilient foam rubber mattress, each rod having a pointed end facing in the direction from which arrows were to be shot and an opposite butt end for reversible insertion into a stud, and a peripheral outer cover lined with resilient material. The rods were made of plastic or other suitable material. When an arrow hit the target, the pointed arrow head was embedded between adjacent rods and its forward motion was halted by the friction of the rods. When the arrow was pulled out, the displaced rods came back to their original position under the compressive force exerted by the resilient material inside the outer cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,778 to Allen disclosed an archery target comprising vertically stacked strip inserts, the edge portions of the strips being positioned to form a target surface and to give it a honeycomb configuration. The inserts were comprised of successively alternated shorts strips and long strips of corrugated paper or paperboard glued in face-abutting relation to achieve an integral laminate form with grooved opposite ends. A rectangular frame, which was also composed of laminates of corrugated paper or paperboard, provided slide guides formed to interfit in the grooved ends of the inserts, whereby the inserts could be slidably inserted between and contained by the frame elements and similarly removed when damaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,431 to Roesner disclosed an archery target comprised of upper, middle and lower sections bound together under compression by a plurality of outer binding cords. Each of the sections included a plurality of long, flat, paper-wrapped packets each stuffed with excelsior and stacked together to form a rectangular assembly. A plurality of inner binding cords were wrapped around the center section packets to compressively bind them together to a greater density than the packets of the top and bottom sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,271 to Pearson disclosed an archery target embodying substantially concentric convolutes composed of a continuous layer of fabric and a continuous layer of straw positively united together, said layers being spirally wound to form a disk with a layer of fabric interposed between each layer of straw, each layer of fabric having an edge exposed at opposite sides edgewise to the flight of an arrow striking the target. In the manufacture of the target, the fabric was wound under tension and the strip carried the straw tightly compressed.
Targets such as those disclosed by Pearson, Roesner, Allen, Bruno, and Batts that employ organic materials, for example, straw, fabric, paper, cardboard, excelsior, or other cellulosic materials, were subject to deterioration from repeated arrow strikes as well as from adverse weather conditions. Although the target disclosed by Rodgrigue was relatively durable, each target required the fabrication of special components, such as rods, studs, and an outer cover, and failed to incorporate materials that would likely otherwise be wasted and go into landfills; compare, for instance, the target disclosed by Bruno, which could incorporate waste cardboard. The target disclosed by Bruno, however, suffers from still another disadvantage: the frame and stand thereof present a significant hazard for damage to a poorly aimed arrow. Avoidance of damage to the arrows is necessary in order to render participation in the sport of archery financially feasible for people of modest means. Carbon arrows present an additional problem not solved by the prior art: their shafts are more narrow than wood and aluminum arrows and, therefore, tend to penetrate entirely through targets rather easily. When carbon arrows are shot at the target disclosed and claimed herein, however, the carpet strips close in around the arrow shaft even if the arrow tip is larger than the shaft as in carbon arrows, and effectively prevent penetration beyond ten inches.